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Artifacts
For a simple, alphabetic list of artifacts, see the artifacts category. :For a descriptive list of specific artifacts, see the list of artifacts. '''Artifacts' are mysterious relics, fantastical objects, and supernatural souvenirs. Some artifacts in the Warehouse 13 series are supernatural relics that rationalize beliefs held in ancient and medieval times about the relics theirselves. Usually, these items are collected and stored in Warehouse 13. Some artifacts are used as tools by Warehouse personnel. Common attributes Each artifact presents an inherent danger unique to its existence or it would not require retrieval and storage in the Warehouse. With very few exceptions, the inherent dangers of artifacts can be mitigated with a purple substance (usually, but not always in liquid form) known as neutralizer that calms down active artifacts.Pilot Exactly how neutralizer works is unknown. Most artifacts channel tangential energy to some degree, allowing them to move other matter, including people, often into trouble. Artifacts express significantly more tangential energy when exposed to strong negative energy (e.g., an argument). Electric energy, specifically electrical storms, can magnify the powers of artifact ten fold.Regrets On artifact passivity, aggressiveness, and sentience Artifacts in general either require a human to activate or don't. Some artifacts like James Braid's Chair would remain passive and not operate at all without the presence of a human sitting in it and a descendant of James Braid with the proper voice patterns speaking nearby. Likewise, The Farnsworth and The Tesla serve merely as otherwise passive tools until used by agents. Even Lucretia Borgia's Comb, which causes terrible jealously and aggression in humans, remains passive until a required phrase is spoken to activate it. Not all artifacts, however, require active human manipulation in order to start seeing the effects for which they're known, and at that point sentience or the perception of it comes into question. Loosely defined, sentience is the ability to feel or perceive subjectively.Wikipedia Warehouse personnel Arthur Nielsen and Mrs. Frederic believe that most artifacts exist as an extension of someone's personality,ClaudiaImplosion thus supporting the notion of sentience being possible. Artie once mentioned to Leena in Duped that half the time they aren't even sure where some of the artifacts come from and how they came about, which might suggest that some artifacts "found" their original owners rather than the owners finding them or creating them. For example, Artie's computer system and the warehouse AutoVac could be argued to display a certain amount of non-violent sentience because of their apparent response to voice commands (such as Artie yelling or threatening the computer), though they may be programmed to behave thusly. Other artifacts, like the Studio 54 Disco Ball, appear to be more playful and mischievous instead of aggressive, as evidenced by the music that played when the disco ball fell.When combined with Lewis Carroll's Looking Glass, the effects of the disco ball released a crazed soul of a murderer trapped in the mirror, but it wasn't a targeted effect, merely a byproduct of the mirror's reflectivity overloading. But certain artifact effects make it possible to believe in actual menacing behavior, such as that displayed by the Spine of the Saracen with its apparent search for the nearest human host on which to attach itself. Some artifacts are bifurcated like Edgar Allan Poe's Quill Pen and Notebook, and two or more parts of a single artifact. Separating the two parts of the artifact from one another creates an almost human panicked response where the separated pieces will do everything in their power to rejoin with their companion parts. The objects appear to calm down on their own without the aid of neutralizer as long has the component parts are kept together. Because of the inconvenient and wholly unpredictable timing of artifact effects, Artie has requested on numerous occasions that wire mesh screens be installed on all warehouse shelves to stop the artifacts from moving and especially moving in such a way as to allow them to inadvertently leave the warehouse, such as when Harry Houdini's Wallet fell off the shelf and into Myka's handbag. However, whether or not any artifact's effects indicate a behavior or even human-like dissatisfaction with containment in the warehouse remains to be seen. Artifacts simply could be responding as they were created to react, whether that creation was by accident or design. It remains wise to control human emotions when inside Warehouse storage. Strong emotions tend to increase artifact activity. For example, when Myka and Pete were having a very heated argument among the Warehouse shelves after capturing the Marie Antoinette's Guillotine Blade, artifacts began to spark and glow with energy around them, a fact the two failed to notice. Fortunately, Artie sprayed them with neutralizer before anything happened. Imprinting Over a period of time in contact with their original owners, some artifacts appear to have absorbed or been imprinted with certain characteristics and personality traits of their former owners. For example, Sylvia Plath's typewriter developed the morbid ability to suck the life out of others because of the author's suicidal tendencies. Edgar Allan Poe's Quill Pen and Notebook appear to be calmed by hearing good stories and seem to be attracted to people with a strong creative spirit. Some artifacts appear to be able to channel the spirits of their original owners, such as Lucretia Borgia's Comb. Other artifacts, like the Studio 54 Disco Ball, appear to have been imprinted with the concepts and attitudes of the time and space where they were originally used. How artifacts are found and retrieved Artie appears to use his computer system to monitor the textual, visual, and aural data posted to the World Wide Web via major news outlets, various crime-related reporting networks, and social networking sites. In theory, Artie is looking for patterns that indicate an artifact is active. He combines the information he discovers with other tools in his office, such as a map of the world, to pinpoint the location of the activity. Storage and labeling Most artifacts housed in Warehouse 13 are stored on long metal and wood shelving units. Some are housed hung from the ceiling. How items are housed varies widely, with some stored inside wooden crates and others merely placed openly on shelves. In all cases, artifacts are clearly labeled; however, it appears these labels are in a perpetual state of upgrade. Some labels still exist as paper tags, while newer digital display tags have also been employed. Artifacts do not appear to be placed within the Warehouse with any certain grouping method, though they are organized using a grid location system. Some areas of the Warehouse are named, such as the "Vetruvius" section, though there appears to be no pattern to those names. In addition, location is not the same thing as categorization or even organization. It is possible that artifacts are placed on Warehouse shelves in such a way as to balance the energy throughout the Warehouse. For example, Leena helps Myka and Pete place the Honjo Masamune sword on the shelves of the Warehouse after slowly wandering down a row of shelves then stopping with the comment "This feels right." As she has a stated ability to sense the balance of someone's personal aura, it may be that she can sense the energy levels of artifacts as well. Although no proven organization method appears to guide placement of artifacts, some artifacts have been segregated based on method of effect or danger level: the "quarantine area" houses timed-exposure artifacts, the "dark vault" has been set aside for sensory-activated items, and the "bronze sector" holds the bronzed cryogenically frozen bodies of dangerous criminals. Destruction In practice, the vast majority of artifacts are retrieved and stored unharmed in the Warehouse regardless of their inherent danger. In some instances, however, artifacts have been damaged beyond repair before being retrieved. For example, the Spine of the Saracen was smashed into pieces to prevent it from destroying Agent Lattimer. Likewise, James Braid's Chair was smashed into pieces to end its control of Sheriff Mackenna who would have otherwise blown up himself and other innocent people, Agent Bering included. Used as field equipment Warehouse Personnel currently use these artifacts in the field during the course of their investigations: *3D/2D Converting Camera *Analog Password Cracker *Ben Franklin's Lightning Rod *Claudia Donovan's Supercharged Handcuffs *Nikola Tesla's Stunner *Philo Farnsworth's Communications Device References *